1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to massage apparatus of the type installed in a chair or the like fixture. More particularly, the present invention pertains to such massage apparatus having travelling rollers for applying a multiple mode therapeutic massage to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Efforts have been directed to developing therapeutic massage assemblies incorporated in chairs, tables and beds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,699 discloses a chair having a roller massage assembly. A plurality of spherical rollers are mounted on a travelling carriage, which is chain-driven to travel along a track. A vibrating motor is associated with the travelling carriage, and a motor remote from the carriage, is located in a stationary part of the chair to drive the chain. The track is located in the chair back and in operation, the travelling carriage travels up and down, along a user's back. In order to soften pressure applied to a user's back, the travelling carriage is spring-loaded. However, it is difficult for such a unit to apply a more vigorous massage if such is desired by a user of the apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,709, by the same inventor as U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,699, also discloses a travelling carriage mounted on a track for movement in a chair back. The travelling carriage is suspended by arched springs which are driven along the guide track by a chain drive system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,047 discloses a travelling carriage having a plurality of bi-lobed rollers, forming part of a travelling carriage assembly. The carriage is mounted for reciprocation along a central support shaft. The shaft is rotated by a remotely located stationary drive unit and drive wheels contact the rotating shaft, imparting a reciprocal drive force to the travelling carriage. Guide cables, parallel to the central shaft, control the angle of contact between the drive wheels and rotating shaft and thereby control the direction of carriage reciprocation. The massage rollers are spring-loaded to avoid user discomfort, but the unit is not able thereby to develop the force necessary for a vigorous massage, should such be desired. U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,920 discloses similar bi-lobed rollers mounted on a travelling carriage which reciprocates along a central support shaft. Rubber shock absorbers isolate the massage rollers from the central support shaft and thus result in an inefficient energy consumption. Drive wheels, direction-reversing cables and external rotary drive for the support shaft, similar to those described above for U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,920, are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,149 discloses a massage assembly mounted in a chair back, having a pair of coaxially mounted massaging rollers. The rollers extend between a pair of geared tracks and a drive motor is provided with a carriage to move the carriage upwardly and downwardly along the tracks. The massage wheels are mounted to the travelling carriage through connecting arms which limit pressure applied to a user as the carriage travels along the user's back.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,998 discloses a massage bed having reciprocating rollers mounted on respective shafts, the ends of which are guided along guide tracks which extend the length of the bed. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,422,448; 4,422,449; and 4,574,786 disclose similar reciprocating arrangements.
Substantial improvements to massage apparatus are still being sought. As with many other commercial devices available today, massage apparatus can be comprised of relatively complex sophisticated electrical and mechanical subsystems. In today's competitive environment, it is important to realize as many manufacturing advantages as is possible, consistent with offering a full-featured reliable product.
In manufacturing sophisticated electromechanical devices, it is advantageous to confine electrical components to a localized portion of the overall assembly. Numerous advantages can be attained if the electrical components are located in a single housing or other subassembly. For example, electrical testing can be completed at the assembly site of the housing, and frequently the same test equipment can be used to examine components before assembly, and to test the various circuits of the device after construction is completed. Also, it is desirable for reasons of electrical safety that electrical components be housed within an enclosure, rather than being openly mounted at various locations throughout a chair back or other furniture structure, for example. Further, it is desirable to physically isolate low voltage control circuits from higher voltage motors and other components operating at line voltage.
Further, only the assembly site of the electrical housing need be kept clean and those aspects of fabrication involved with spraying, applying caustic solutions, and metal working, which generate metal filings and the like, need not be restricted since those operations can be carried on remotely from the electrical assembly site. Also, in many applications, labor is more efficiently divided between those workers assembling the electrical and the mechanical components, respectively. Further, those manufacturing sites operating on a "just-in-time" basis, can start fabrication and testing of electrical components as early as is needed to accommodate the more complicated and time consuming electrical testing. At times, it may be necessary to fabricate and test a number of electrical subassemblies in advance of the final assembly operation, and if the electrical components can be assembled in a single compact housing, savings and storage can be realized.
If possible, it is desirable to provide a massaging apparatus which is gentle for some users, while being able to provide a more vigorous massage desired by other users. As mentioned above, it is common to provide resilient elements in the drive systems of massaging apparatus. The resilient elements have been added to "smooth out" any erratic or unexpected motion of the massaging elements which inevitably result from the manner in which the massaging elements are suspended and are driven along their range of travel. Some resilient mountings having been successful in minimizing irregular excursions of the massaging elements. However, such resilient elements absorb energy which would otherwise be available on demand when a more vigorous massage is desired.
The travelling roller systems heretofore available reciprocate the rollers along a user's back. Other types of massage, such as a kneading massage are in demand, and it is desirable to provide a kneading action if such can be done without substantially increasing the size or expense of a massage apparatus. It is desirable to provide a travelling roller apparatus which adequately supports massaging elements during a kneading operation, while allowing reciprocal travel without a binding or irregular movement of the travelling massaging elements.